This year’s theme COMPASS FOR A BETTER WORLD continues the ongoing celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and focuses on various aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals.

MISSION & OBJECTIVE

Established nineteen years ago, UNAFF celebrates the power of films dealing with human rights, environmental themes, population, migration, women’s issues, refugees, homelessness, racism, health, universal education, war and peace. UNAFF offers a unique opportunity to view documentaries that are rarely screened, to become familiar with global problems, and to acquire a better understanding of the means to address these problems.

ABOUT THE FESTIVAL

UNAFF was established in 1998 to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was founded by Stanford educator and film critic Jasmina Bojic with the participation of the Stanford Film Society and UNA Midpeninsula Chapter—a grassroots, community-based, nonprofit organization, UNAFF, whose theme for this year is “COMPASS FOR A BETTER WORLD", is an international documentary film festival held from October 20-30, 2016 in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, San Francisco and Stanford University.

As one of the oldest solely documentary film festivals in the US, UNAFF has grown and earned the respect of audiences and filmmakers alike for its fearless independence and integrity. In addition to providing early outlets for films, many of which later went on to win major awards and accolades, UNAFF prides itself in creating a community forum for discovery and dialogue about different cultures, issues and solutions.

Each year that the UNAFF has been held, the festival has screened films from all over the world - Asia, the South Pacific, Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. The festival has attracted a broad audience with regards to ethnicity, many finding the screenings to be a rare chance to see the state of human rights and culture in their own native countries. Last year UNAFF jurors carefully reviewed over 600 submissions. Our final program consisted of 60 films related to issues from almost 60 countries.

UNAFF screened some of the most awarded and talked about documentaries in the industry including seven that went on to win Academy Awards ("Panama Deception," "Thoth", "The Blood of Yingzhou District", "Freeheld", "Taxi to the Dark Side", "Inocente" and "Saving Face") and twenty eight that were nominated ("Regret to Inform", "Genghis Blues","Long Night's Journey Into Day", "LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton", "Promises", "Daughter from Danang","When Abortion was Illegal", "Twist of Faith", "God Sleeps in Rwanda", "War /Dance", "Trouble The Water", “Salim Baba”, “The Garden”, “Burma VJ”, “China’s Unnatural Disaster – The Tears of Sichuan Province", "The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers", "Rabbit a la Berlin", "Gasland", "Killing In the Name", "Which Way Home", "Waste Land", "The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of The Civil Rights Movement" and "Karama Has No Walls", "Facing Fear", "King’s Point", "Prison Terminal: The Last Days Of Private Jack Hall", "White Earth" and "Dirty Wars").

Documentaries often elicit a very personal, emotional response that encourages dialogue and action by humanizing global and local problems. To further this goal, UNAFF hosts academics and filmmakers from around the world to discuss the topics in the films with the audience, groups and individuals who are often separated by geography, ethnicity and economic constraints.

Apart from bringing the best international documentaries to our audiences during the festival days each October, we have developed multiple year-round programs which engage a growing segment of our community. Our popular “UNAFF Traveling Film Festival” has taken place in San Francisco, Berkeley, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Davis, Saratoga, Sonoma, Sebastopol, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Honolulu, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Burlington, Bellevue, Miami, La Crosse, Fryeburg, Houston, Denver, Chapel Hill, Durham at Duke University, New Haven at Yale University, Waukesha at University of Wisconsin, Boston and Cambridge at Harvard University and internationally in Paris, Venice, Belgrade, Phnom Penh and Abu Dhabi. Through “UNAFF and Kids” and “UNAFF in Schools” programs we have devoted our attention to the young and to the wiser among us with the “UNAFF for Seniors”. The “UNAFF Panels” program provides a platform for some of the best experts addressing challenging topics and our “UNAFF Café” maintains a steady supply of interesting films and informal discussions. “UNAFF Archive” offers a plethora of research material for students of film, politics and international relations, "UNAFF With Veterans" brings documentaries to veterans and their families and
"UNAFF Women Salon" is targeting women who may, may not otherwise find time for the regular screenings, in environment which encourages active discussion and engagement.

We are proud that UNAFF has twice won the WAVE Awards for best promotional trailer and the prestigious Earl W. Eames Award for innovatively combining new technologies with traditional media. As an acknowledgment of the 10th anniversary, UNAFF received the “Community Treasure Award” from Stanford University President John Hennessy for its contribution in promoting dialogue and education about different cultures and issues. For the last thirteen years the Mayor of Palo Alto has proclaimed the festival days as UNAFF Week, consistently recognizing the significance that UNAFF has for the community. Most recently, UNAFF received the prestigious Academy Foundation Grant for the “UNAFF and Kids” program, which will have its seventh presentation this year.

UNAFF is an independent project of the UNA-USA, a nonprofit organization. We welcome your support, financial or otherwise, in helping us put together a festival that promotes documentary filmmaking as a tool for social and political understanding and which facilitates community participation in effecting international change. By making a tax-deductible donation to UNAFF you will directly give a chance to tens of thousands of people to see these important documentaries that bring us together as a diverse community.

ORGANIZERS

Jasmina Bojic (Founder & Executive Director)

GENERAL RULES

19th UNAFF CALL FOR ENTRIES

SUBMISSIONS ARE OPEN for the 19th UNAFF, which runs from October 20-30, 2016 in Palo Alto, East Palo Alto, San Francisco and Stanford University.

This year’s theme COMPASS FOR A BETTER WORLD continues the ongoing celebration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and focuses on various aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

• Documentaries only
• No production year limit - but no films that are available online for free
• No runtime limit – UNAFF accepts both shorts and longs
• Rough-cuts or works-in-progress accepted, but please submit as close to the final cut as possible. UNAFF cannot accept updated versions of a film less than 10 days before the start of the festival
• Preferred submission format: DVD (NTSC/PAL) or Blu-Ray region 0 or 1
• Alternate submission format: Download-enabled online link with a password having an expiration date extending through July 31

UNAFF provides filmmakers with pass credentials, guest festival passes and some assistance with lodging and airfare. In addition to screenings, UNAFF provides filmmakers the opportunity to present their work through panel discussions and Q&As and to meet distributors and leaders of community organizations.

Questions or comments: Email info@unaff.org or call (650) 724-5544

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SHIPPING
The entrant is responsible for the cost of shipping the entries to our office. Due to the volume of entries we
CANNOT return preview discs. Unless otherwise requested, all submissions will become part of the UNAFF
archive available for research and educational purposes only. Works submitted will be returned only if accompanied
by insured self-addressed return packaging.

Waiver
Entries will be handled with the utmost care, but UNAFF can not assume responsibility for damage or loss of any film submitted to the festival.

Authorization
As the producer's authorized representative, I accept the conditions described on this Entry Form. If this film is selected, I grant UNAFF the rights to publicly display it during UNAFF 2016 and in the UNAFF Traveling Film Festival and its programs internationally and in the US, as well as the permission to use any footage from the film and its publicity materials for UNAFF promotional purposes. UNAFF will not accept new versions of a selected film later than 10 days before the festival unless requested by the programming staff.

**If you agree to screen during UNAFF 2016, and do not wish to participate in the UNAFF Traveling Film Festival, please send us an email immediately after submitting to info@unaff.org indicating your preferences**